The present invention relates generally to non-ablative laser treatment of dermatologic conditions. More particularly, the present invention relates to dermatologic treatment of winkles, skin texturing, pore size reduction, rosacea, blush/diffuse redness, striae (e.g., stretch marks), scarring, and acne.
Million of teen-agers and young adults in the United States suffer from acne vulgaris (commonly referred to as “acne.”) Acne vulgaris is a disease of the skin that results from a combination of follicular hyperkeratinization, the presence of Propionibacterium acnes (p. acnes) bacteria in the follicular canal, and excessive sebum production in the sebaceous gland. It has been suggested that elimination of any of the three factors will result in the prevention of acne vulgaris.
Acne vulgaris commonly occurs on the face, neck, back and chest where sebaceous glands are present. Normally, the lining of skin duct sheds dead cells and are transported to the skin surface by a sebum secretion from the sebaceous gland. When the duct is blocked, the dead cells and sebum accumulate and form a plug or comedo in the duct. If the plug stays below the surface of the skin, it is called a “closed” comedo or whitehead. If the plug enlarges and is exposed out of the duct, it is called an “open” comedo or blackhead.
Conventional treatments of acne vulgaris include the use of topical treatments and/or oral medications. Some common topical treatments include topical antibiotics, benzoyl peroxide (e.g., Oxy-10), Retin-A®, and the like. Some common oral medications include, oral antibiotics, Accutane, and some birth control pills.
In addition to the topical treatments and oral medications, a number of phototherapies have also been suggested for the treatment of acne vulgaris. For example, blue and ultraviolet light (UV) have been found to photoactively target the acne-associated p. acnes bacteria through free radical oxygen species of photoactivation of PP-IX molecules. The molecules are endogenous and in relatively high concentration in p. acnes. It is believed that repeated exposure to blue light may improve symptoms of acne vulgaris without the concerns associated with prolonged exposure to UV light. See Sigurdsson, V., Knulst, A. C., van Weelden, H., “Phototherapy of Acne Vulgaris with Visible Light,” Dermatology 1997; 194: 256-260, Mills, Otto H., MA, Kligman, Albert M., MD., PhD., “Ultraviolet Phototherapy and Photochemotherapy of Acne Vulgaris,” Arch Dermatol. 1978; 114: 221-223, and Papageorgiou, P., Katsambas, A., Chu, A. “Phototherapy with blue (415 nm) and red (660 nm) light in the treatment of acne vulgaris,” British Journal of Dermatology 2000; 142: 973-978. Some commentators have also suggested that P. acnes can be destroyed by relatively modest temperatures. See Ross, E. V. et al., “Laser Treatment of Acne Through Selective Dermal Heating,” Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 2002, Supplement 14:23.
Unfortunately, none of the conventional therapies have proven to be completely successful in treating acne vulgaris. Therefore, what is needed are effective, non-ablative solution for treating acne vulgaris, and other dermatologic conditions.